Romania: CRH subsidiary Romcim has completed its acquisition of two ready-mix concrete plants in Iași County from BCC Agregate Betoane. The Diplomat newspaper has reported that the acquisition will expand Romcim’s coverage in the Moldavian Region and accelerate its supply of ready-mix concrete to customers there.

CRH employs 2600 people across 52 sites in Romania through Romcim and its other subsidiaries, including structural elements producer Bauelemente and Hungary-based prefabricated and reinforced concrete structures supplier Ferrobeton.

US: The Block Design Collective (BDC), a non-profit organisation affiliated with the concrete masonry unit producers’ association the Concrete Masonry Checkoff Board, has launched a request for proposal (RFP) for concrete masonry design assistance services. The BDC says that it is seeking to contract multiple consultants to provide technical support to architects and engineers through a US-wide design assistance platform. The platform will offer services free-of-charge to end users.

The RFP is accessible online here.

France: Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies has concluded a strategic partnership for the supply of its clinker-free low-CO₂ cement to commercial and residential property developer Groupe Morisset. Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies said that the companies have previously collaborated over the past four years. The new partnership agreement will commit Groupe Morisset to increasing the volumes of Hoffmann Green Cement Technologies’ materials used in its projects.

Egypt: Construction chemicals producer Mapei has opened a new production plant in the 10th of Ramadan City, north-west of Cairo. The 30,000m² facility will produce Mapei’s main products for the local market, including grinding aids for cement production and concrete admixtures. It will be the Italy-based group's second production plant in Egypt following Vinavil’s polymer plant in Suez, which began operating in 2002 and employs around 150 people.

"Egypt today represents a very promising market for the global construction industry," said Veronica Squinzi, CEO of Mapei. "With over 100m inhabitants and a constant demographic growth, the country is experiencing a growing demand for residential construction, supported by strong government investment plans in infrastructure, hospitality and large-scale transport. The presence of two production sites in the area, Mapei and Vinavil, will strengthen the group's competitiveness, while promoting local production capacities, creating job opportunities and facilitating technology transfer." Squinzi added “The new plant will allow Mapei to distribute its products efficiently both within Egypt and in the nearby markets of North Africa and the Middle East. It will also be a gateway to sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to the existing trade agreements and the growing economic integration among African nations.”

Mapei Group has 220 employees. It has been present in Egypt since 2002 through its subsidiary Vinavil.